Wendy Rene facts for kids

Mary Frierson, also known as Mary Cross, was an American soul singer. She was born in 1947 and passed away on December 16, 2014. Many people knew her by her stage name, Wendy Rene. She recorded many songs for Stax Records in the mid-1960s.

About Wendy Rene's Life

Mary Frierson was born in Memphis, Tennessee. As a teenager, she loved to sing. She formed a singing group called the Drapels. Her brother Johnnie Frierson and two friends, Marianne Brittenum and Wilbur Mondie, were also in the group.

Starting Her Music Career

In 1963, the Drapels tried out for Jim Stewart, who helped start Stax Records. He liked them and offered them a contract to record music. Before leaving, Mary showed Stewart some songs she had written. He was so impressed that he offered her a solo contract too!

Mary needed a stage name for her solo career. Otis Redding, another famous singer, suggested the name Wendy Rene. She really liked it and started using it.

Her First Songs

Wendy Rene's first solo song was "After Laughter (Comes Tears)". She wrote it with her brother. It came out in August 1964. The song became popular in her hometown. It even made it onto a special Billboard chart. Booker T. Jones played the organ on this song.

Her second song was "Bar-B-Q", released in November 1964. This song was made to be a fun dance craze record. Steve Cropper played guitar on it.

Touring and Retirement

Wendy Rene continued to record music. She also toured with other big stars from Stax Records. These included Rufus Thomas and Otis Redding. She also sang backup for their songs.

In 1967, Wendy Rene married James Cross. He also worked at Stax Records. In December of that year, she was supposed to fly with Otis Redding and the Bar-Kays for a show. But she decided not to go at the last minute. She wanted to stay home with her new baby. Sadly, the plane crashed, and Otis Redding and six others died.

After this, Wendy Rene stopped making music. She focused on her family and her church. She and James Cross had five sons and one daughter. In 2010, she sang on stage again for a short time at the Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans.

Her Music Lives On

Many of Wendy Rene's songs are still popular today. They have been used in movies like Lucky Number Slevin and The Wackness. Other famous artists have also used parts of her songs in their own music. These include Wu-Tang Clan, Metro Boomin, Ariana Grande, Alicia Keys, and Lykke Li. Even Chili's Restaurant used her song "Bar-B-Q" in a TV commercial!

In 2003, a company called Ace Records released a collection of her songs. It was called You Thrill My Soul. Another collection, After Laughter Comes Tears, came out in 2012.

Wendy Rene passed away on December 16, 2014, after having a stroke. She was 67 years old.

Wendy Rene's Music Recordings

Singles

These are the songs Wendy Rene released as singles.

with Volt Records

• 1964: "Wondering" / "Please Don't Leave" (with The Drapels)
• 1964: "Young Man" / "Your Love Is All I Need" (with The Drapels)

with Stax Records

• 1964: "After Laughter (Comes Tears)" / "What Will Tomorrow Bring"
• 1964: "Bar-B-Q" / "Young and Foolish"
• 1965: "Give You What I Got" / "Reap What You Sow"

Compilations

These are albums that collect many of her songs together.

• 2003: You Thrill My Soul (Ace Records)
• 2012: After Laughter Comes Tears: Complete Stax & Volt Singles + Rarities 1964–1965 (Light In The Attic Records)

Soundtracks

Wendy Rene's songs have been featured in these movies and TV shows.

• "After Laughter" – Lucky Number Slevin
• "After Laughter" – Gegen die Wand (Head-On)
• "Bar-B-Q" – Once Upon a Time in the Midlands
• "After Laughter" – The Wackness
• "After Laughter" – Felix & Meira
• "After Laughter" – La dame dans l'auto avec des lunettes et un fusil
• "After Laughter" – This is England '88

See also

In Spanish: Wendy Rene para niños